Twenty six employees who lost their jobs with a Birmingham charity have been awarded more than £60,000 by a tribunal.

The former employees of BXL Services, of Centennial Centre, made compensation claims at Birmingham Employment Tribunal against three administrators of Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

Mike Cleverley, BXL’s former commercial manager and 25 other workers, had been employed by the charity which was said to help 20,000 young people a year with education and work training.

The tribunal was told the organisation went into administration earlier this year after a lack of funding and cash flow problems.

Mr Cleverley was among the 26 employees who lost their jobs and accused three administrators from Pricewaterhouse Coopers of failing to consult employees over the situation.

Staff had hoped the administrators would have found an organisation to take over the charity and save their jobs, the tribunal heard.

Yvonne Ellis, of Wythall, who was a support officer, was said to have played a specific role in helping young people both in schools and after leaving their education. She also provided work experience.

Mrs Ellis, Mr Cleverley and the others made claims for protective awards against the three administrators – Tony Barrell, Matthew Hammond and Ian Oakley-Smith.

The respondents did not attend the hearing.

Protective awards – the equivalent of two or three months’ wages for the lack of consultation over impending job losses – can be awarded when 20 or more employees are involved, it was said.

Tribunal judge Ron Broughton described BXL Services as as registered charity with a social enterprise for young people, including those with learning difficulties.

He said BXL’s chief executive was made redundant and the organisation faced a lack of funding and cash flow problems. Also that when BXL was set up it had inherited a large pension deficit.

Mr Broughton said:”I am satisfied there was a failure by the administrators to carry out consultations with the employees and I am making protective awards covering eight weeks.”

The total award was about £65,000 – an average of around £3,000 per claimant.